The Severn Bridges Regulations 1996

UK Statutory Instrument 1996 No. 1316 — creates 1 criminal offence.

1offences created

0recorded in force

0revoked

Made: 15 May 1996
In force from: 5 June 1996
Extent: Not stated
Subject: Road traffic and vehicles
Made under: Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, Severn Bridges Act 1992

Explanatory note

(This note is not part of the Order) — published with the instrument by the department that made it. © Crown copyright, reused under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

These Regulations revoke and replace the Severn Bridge Regulations 1993. (“the 1993 Regulations”) which did not apply to the new Severn Bridge. These Regulations apply to the existing and new Severn Bridges and their toll plaza areas. The Regulations provide for the following matters:— The manner in which and the places at which tolls are to be paid are prescribed and traffic is prohibited from passing a toll-booth unless a green light is showing or the driver is allowed or directed to proceed (regulation 5). Appointed persons may direct traffic for the purpose of preventing it from using the existing bridge or proceeding west of the new toll plaza after using the new bridge, if tolls are not paid (regulation 6). Obstruction of appointed persons acting in such circumstances is prohibited (regulation 7). (Only west bound traffic is liable to pay tolls, so traffic using the existing bridge reaches the existing toll plaza (east of that bridge) before crossing that bridge, while traffic using the new bridge reaches the new toll plaza (west of that bridge) after using that bridge.) Drivers are prohibited from using toll lanes shown as being out of use (regulation 8). Notices must be displayed at toll-booths showing the amounts of tolls, the categories of vehicle for which they are chargeable and other provisions in accordance with which tolls are leviable (regulation 9). The Motorways Traffic Regulations 1982 are modified in their application to the roads (“the specified roads”) on the existing bridge and in the existing toll plaza, which have no hard shoulder (regulation 10 and the Schedule). There are special restrictions on stopping and a requirement to report breakdowns on those roads (regulation 11). Constables and appointed persons are empowered to require the removal of broken down vehicles from the specified roads (regulation 12(2)) and their consent is needed for an attempt to repair, refuel or adjust such vehicles (other than defence vehicles (regulation 12(4)) on those roads (regulation 12 (3)). The provisions of regulation 12 apply to the exclusion of certain provisions of the Removal and Disposal of Vehicles Regulations 1986 (regulation 12(5)). Appointed persons are empowered, on grounds of safety or for the avoidance of delay, to prohibit particular vehicles or vehicles of a particular description from using the bridges, and toll plaza areas either generally or unless specified requirements are complied with (regulation 13). Special restrictions apply to the use of the cycleway and footway which are on the existing bridge (regulation 14). The throwing or dropping of things on the roads on the bridges and in the toll plaza areas which could cause personal injury is prohibited (regulation 15) and there are prohibitions against going on to the parts of the bridges not comprised in the roads carried by the bridges and within the toll plaza areas or the cycleway and footway and against damaging, removing or interfering with works or signs (regulations 16 and 17).

Offences created by this instrument

Contravention of The Severn Bridges Regulations 1996 the instrument as a whole · Status not determined · Strict liability

What Parliament said about it

Contributions, debates and written statements mentioning this instrument by name. Parliamentary material is reused under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0.

Tolls (Severn Bridges) Commons · Westminster Hall · 23 June 2010 · Norman Baker
I am very happy to have dialogue with my counterpart or anyone else in the Welsh Assembly if they wish to do so. The issue has just been raised for the first time with the new Government—this is the first Adjournment debate on it. I am perfectly open to suggestions of dialogue with people from Wales or elsewhere on issues for which my Department is responsible. I want to talk about VAT, which was raised by the hon. Member for Newport East. When VAT was first applied to the crossings in 2003, following a European Court ruling, there was no increase in the toll to the motorist. Following the…

How Parliament handled it

Parliament's Statutory Instruments service records procedure from May 2017 onwards, and this instrument predates it. That is a limit of the source, not a statement that nothing happened.

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